Computing devices such as smart phones, tablets, entertainment systems, notebook computers, and portable communication devices are continually used in new and useful ways to provide communications, information and entertainment to users of the computing devices. Many computing devices are capable of providing audio output such as music, voice commands (e.g., navigation instructions), text-to-speech audio, audio indications (e.g., alarms, warnings, announcements, etc.) and other types of audio feedback or output. Users often expect multi-functional devices to provide audio output in a meaningful way to allow the user to intuitively interact with the devices without a need for excessive amount of user control or adjustment of the audio outputs.
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is used to convert a digital signal from an electronic device to an analog signal that is output to a speaker, which generates sound at a volume perceivable by a user. Conventional DACs use a single logarithmic curve to provide the conversion of the digital signal to the analog signal in an attempt to provide a consistent control of volume when a user interacts with a volume control.